When You're With Me There's A Light And I Can See My Way
by BlueOctopod
Summary: Naruto is supposed to marry the Kazekage's eldest son. It's a shame Naruto's never done what she's supposed to do.
1. Chapter 1

Naruto has spent her entire life knowing Konoha comes first. She knows her dad loves her, of course he does, but he's so often busy with treaties and working with diplomats and running a city. It hurts sometimes, hurts to know that whether he realizes it or not, he's always made the village more of a priority than his daughter.

But she's used to that, has been since she was little. She's used to spending her time with others, to Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-nii spending most of their time with her. No, the worst part of being the Hokage's daughter is having obligations.

The Hokage's daughter isn't supposed to be loud, isn't supposed to skip diplomatic meetings to train, isn't supposed to punch nobles that don't get that she's not interested.

The Hokage's daughter is expected to put the village first, even if it goes against everything she wants.

Naruto knows that, has known that since her first etiquette lesson, but that still doesn't prepare her for what her father tells her one summer day.

"What?" she finally manages, staring at Minato as though he's lost his mind.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Her father tells her, looking pained. "But Suna is dangerously close to declaring war, it's a stroke of luck that the Kazekage even proposed this at all-"

"Luck?" Naruto demands with fury in her voice. "It's lucky that you're forcing me into an arranged marriage with some moron I've never met before?"

"The Kazekage has assured me Kankuro is very considerate, and by all accounts the boy is quite a talented ninja. Besides, the Kazekage should be coming within a few weeks, so you can get to know the boy."

"I don't want someone talented! I want someone I like!"

They stare at each other for a moment, Minato despairing and Naruto glaring, before she throws up her hands in disgust and turns towards the door.

"Naruto-" he calls out, stopping when she raises a hand.

"No," she says bitterly, "I get it. The village comes first, right? The village always comes first. Just so you know," she adds, turning to face her father, "I hope you know mom would hate this."

With that parting shot Naruto is out the door, blinking back angry tears and ignoring the curious stares of the shinobi milling around the door.

She is the daughter of the Hokage, and that means she isn't allowed to show weakness.

* * *

Sakura's in the middle of her shift at the hospital, Naruto knows. She should let the girl, you know, actually do her job saving people. She should, but it's not like she can talk to anyone else about this.

"Sakura?" she asks, turning to her friend and former teammate with worried eyes.

"Naruto, you know I'm busy-" Sakura starts before actually looking at her friend. Naruto knows the other girl can see how she's blinking back tears, can see how her hands are shaking in barely repressed rage. She knows she's being weak right now, but she finds it hard to care.

"Aki!" Sakura calls, smiling when the other medic turns, "I need you to cover me for a bit, alright?"

"Of course, Haruno-San," the medic agrees, smiling at the darling of the Medical Corps.

Naruto feels herself blink back tears at that again. She doesn't want to live in Suna, she doesn't want to leave Sakura and Ino and all her friends behind, she doesn't want to leave Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-nii and even her father.

"What is it?" the other girl asks once they've found a secluded corner, concern clear on her face.

"Tou-san's agreed to an arranged marriage between me and the Kazekage's eldest son."

"He's _what?"_ Sakura demands.

"I know!" Naruto practically wails, giving to the urge to drape herself over Sakura. "And I know the village comes first but I don't want to do this! I don't want to leave you and everyone behind, even Sasuke, even though he's an ass. I don't want to go. The Kazekage and this Kankuro guy are coming by in a few weeks and I don't know what to do."

Sakura is quiet, rubbing circles along Naruto's back, before she finally speaks.

"I think you should meet him."

"What?" Naruto demands, untangling herself from the other girl's grip to look up at Sakura.

"I know you, Naruto, I know you're not really happy here. I know you don't like being the Hokage's daughter…being the jinchuuriki everyone's afraid of. I know you'd have left if it didn't mean becoming a missing-nin."

Naruto wants to deny it but Sakura's right, like she always is.

"Suna is the chance for a fresh start. I think you should meet him, and if you like him that's great. If you don't, you know we'll all be happy to provide an alibi."

 _The girl has a point,_ a rumbling voice adds, and Naruto resists the urge to roll her eyes.

 _Finally decided to join us?_ She questions the fox.

 _You don't like it here,_ Kurama fires back, and she just knows he's rolling his eyes. _Besides, if I have to deal with your emotions, I should get a chance to deal with them somewhere new._

 _How generous of you,_ Naruto responds sarcastically before stopping and taking a moment to think.

"Okay," she finally decides. "I'll at least see what he's like."

"Alright," Sakura responds before a wicked grin curves across her face. "Besides, if he's really awful, we all know how to hide a body."

Naruto laughs, aiming a beaming smile at her best friend before waving goodbye and leaping out the window and landing feet first on the street below.

* * *

When Naruto enters the Hokage's office, it's to the sight of her father staring contemplatively at an unopened bottle of sake.

She snorts at the sight, causing him to look up.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I said, and I do think mom would kill you," she begins, looking into her father's eyes. "But I'm willing to meet him."

At that, tou-san lets out a shuddering sigh, leaning back in his chair. She knows that's far more of a concession than he expected.

She also knows he can read in between the lines, knows he's noticed how she's only agreed to meet the boy. Naruto watches him for a moment, watches as he considers her words before he nods. After all, that's the best he'll get from her.

"Naruto," Minato says, "I truly am sorry."

The smile she sends his way is bitter. "It's for the village," Naruto repeats, "I understand."


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto is slowly sipping at a cup of tea Sakura has forced into her hands when the apartment window unlatches.

She looks up at that, Sakura coming in from the kitchen, to see the familiar uniform and dog mask framed by black hair.

"Hound."

"I'm off shift," Sasuke replies, tossing the mask onto the couch. "Just thought I wouldn't be bothered on the way over if I was wearing it."

She smiles at that, at the reminder of how far they've all come. Sasuke was a bastard in the academy, and he still is, but it's hard to deny taking Kakashi-nii's place in the force has helped him. Fuck, she thinks then, blinking back tears. She's feeling emotional over Sasuke.

"Dobe?" Sasuke asks, actually sounding concerned, and she looks up to see him sharing a glance with Sakura.

"M fine," Naruto insists, leaning back and wiping away the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

"You know you don't need to hide, not from us," Sakura tells her, settling a hand on her shoulder and setting down a bowl of soup in front of her.

Sasuke looks even more alarmed when Naruto only spares the food a glance before turning back to her tea.

You can do this, she thinks. You can do this.

"I'm getting married," Naruto finally manages.

"What?" her former teammate screeches, mirroring Sakura's earlier surprise.

"The Hokage," Sakura speaks up when Naruto doesn't respond, "wants to avert war with Suna. The Kazekage has offered his eldest son."

It makes sense. Konoha can't afford war, not now. Marrying her to the Kazekage's son gives them an almost certainly permanent alliance and the military support of another village. It makes sense, that doesn't mean she has to like it.

There's silence for a moment, Naruto drinking her tea and avoiding the gazes of her former teammates, before Sasuke speaks up.

"I'm sorry?" he finally offers, flinching when she snickers in response.

"I just-" Naruto starts then stops, digging the palm of her hand into her closed eyes. "I knew this was a possibility. I just…I just didn't think he'd actually go through with it."

Sasuke settles onto the arm of her sofa, watching her cautiously as she pauses.

"I brought mom into it."

The other two both wince at that. Kushina was the one thing father and daughter never talked about, the one thing sacred in their house.

"Any advice from a clan member?" Naruto opens her eyes, turning to look at Sasuke.

The boy only shrugs uncomfortably from his perch.

"I'm the spare, you know that. If you want, I can ask Itachi."

"No," Naruto refuses vehemently, "it's not the same. He knew Hinata. He wasn't marrying some stranger."

"Do," Sasuke starts, hesitance obvious, "do they know you're…"

He trails off, but the meaning is obvious.

"Yeah," Naruto huffs out a laugh, determined not to cry. "Giving another village a jinchuuriki seems like a bad idea, I know, but apparently it's a good thing. After all, Konoha gets the military of another village and the demon out of town."

Sakura drops to her side then, wrapping an arm around the other girl's shoulders.

"I read some of the contract. I saw the part saying that they'll have to negotiate whether my…my children will return to Konoha once they have the fox."

Kurama stirs at that, but Naruto waves him off. That's a conversation she can't bear to have right now.

"I don't want to do this," she says, leaning into Sakura's touch. "But I have a responsibility. The Kazekage will take it as a slight if I refuse, and Konoha can't afford war."

"No," Sasuke speaks up, "We can't."

She thinks of the grief in her father's eyes, of the guilt that haunts Kakashi and the older shinobi. Her friends are strong and determined and skilled, but they've never seen war. She can't bear the thought of subjecting them to the horrors those that fought have surely seen.

"I'm gonna do it," Naruto finally decides. They deserve to live in peace, even if it means she marries a stranger.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Kankuro is throwing a fit. At least Kankuro's fits only leave offended parties in their wake, not bodies like his younger brother.

But right now it's hard to be thankful that Kankuro isn't a murderous madman, as unlikely as that seems. Right now Rasa is watching his son cuss and wishing, not for the first time, that Temari was an only child.

She knew the meaning of duty and the importance of responsibility, the importance of putting the village first. Kankuro is far more interested in girls and idle pleasures to care about learning to lead, and his youngest son spends too much time indulging in violence to even begin to think about the village. Of course it's not as though he actually wants Gaara anywhere near the upper echelons of the village, but it's the principle of the thing.

"Enough," he finally snaps, internally gratified when Kankuro freezes. "You are marrying this girl, and I will not hear another word about it."

Kankuro visibly sulks before straightening again. "Is she pretty?"

 _Is she pretty?_ Not questions about her combat prowess, not questions about her studies, no, _is she pretty?_

Rasa only barely resists the urge to put his head in his hands, wishing once again that Temari was born a boy.

"Yes," Rasa finally says, "Namikaze Naruto is pretty. She's also a fuinjutsu master, became jounin at an exceptionally young age, and is known for her skill in combat. And," Rasa adds, watching Kankuro, "she is the jinchuuriki of the nine tails."

Just watching Kankuro freeze in terror is enough to make him wish for the bottle of sake hidden in his desk drawer.

"She's stable," Rasa drawls. "She is stable and she is important. Like it or not, that's enough to tie you two together."

He interrupt Kankuro's raving again to level him with a glare that freezes him. "We're leaving for Konoha in two days. I expect you to be on your best behavior. After all," he starts, "your brother is coming with us as well."

It had been one of Namikaze's conditions, that his daughter meet Suna's jinchuuriki. It makes sense, given the rumors and reports the man must have heard about Gaara. Rasa would do the same in his place, if he heard his daughter would be near someone as dangerous and unstable as the boy. It doesn't mean he has to like it, not when he'll spend half the trip making sure Kankuro doesn't do anything unforgivably stupid and the other half ready to hide the bodies Gaara leaves in his wake.

He just knows this trip will end in disaster.


	3. Chapter 3

Tou-san is talking next her, saying something about duty and responsibility, but honestly she's not paying attention. Not when she's sweating and it's only partially from the sun shining down, not when she's nervously palming the kunai hidden in the sleeve of her best kimono.

Waiting at the steps of the Hokage tower for her future husband to arrive, Naruto wants nothing more than the distraction of a good fight. She's calm when snapping a man's neck, she enjoys the rush that comes from killing an entire squad.

Unfortunately no fight erupts, no battle ensues, and instead she's left sweating as the Kazekage's procession draws closer.

Kakashi-nii is a comforting presence at her side, since she specifically request him as a guard, but she's still nervous. Her mind is still running through a thousand different scenarios, each worse than last.

"You'll be fine," her brother in all but blood mutters out of the corner of his mouth, and she tries to smile in response. Judging by the grimace she gets in return, she wasn't entirely successful.

Alright, Naruto thinks, watching as the Kazekage's procession comes into view. It's time. Just treat it like another mission, just treat it like an intelligence op.

It works, at least a little bit, and Naruto smooths down her kimono before straightening and putting on her most charming smile.

The front litter comes to a stop, then, and a man dressed in the ceremonial robes of a Kage steps out.

Naruto watches him as he comes closer, nothing the lines around his mouth and the crow feet around his eyes, noting the leanness of his face. This is a man used to fighting for survival.

"Hokage-Sama," the man-Rasa, she corrects herself-strides forward, reaching out clasp hands with her father.

"Kazekage-Sama," Minato greets him cheerfully, dropping into a small bow before turning to Naruto.

"Rasa-sama, I'd like you to meet my daughter Naruto."

Naruto knows the etiquette for this, knows she's expected to be quiet and demure. It's a shame she doesn't feel like following it.

"Pleased to meet you," she says, imitating Minato's cheerfulness but staring at the Kage with defiant eyes.

The lines around the Kage's mouth crinkle minutely as his mouth twitches into something resembling a smile.

"Kankuro has been very eager to meet you."

She bites back the sarcastic retort that comment provokes, looking past Rasa instead to the see the three figures idling behind him.

The Kazekage's children, for that must be what they are, step up besides their father.

She doesn't like how the tallest one smiles, can't help but notice how arrogant it seems.

"This my son, Kankuro," the Kazekage says then, breaking Naruto out of her musings, and that's enough to startle her.

The boy drops into a stiff bow and Naruto's opinion of her supposed future husband drops even lower. She doesn't want a husband that's so obviously arrogant, that can't even fake the manners these sorts of things require.

She may have promised to go through with the engagement, but that promise was made expecting better than this Kankuro.

"My daughter, Temari," Rasa continues, jolting her out of her thoughts, and introducing a kunoichi with blond hair and yet another arrogant smile. Naruto has to admit she's reluctantly impressed as she watches the blonde dip into a bow. She never thought bows could seem mocking, and yet this Temari is doing it.

"And this is Gaara," their father finishes then, and Naruto turns to look at the last member of the trio.

Nii-san must mistake her sudden tenseness for fear, Naruto thinks distantly when he tenses beside her, but that's not why she's frozen. It's not why she finds herself staring into green eyes framed by a mop of red hair.

She knows that look. After all, she's seen it in the mirror.

* * *

He didn't want to leave Suna. Father may not encourage the love of devastation but he tolerates it, he looks the other way when a shinobi goes missing or Gaara comes home stained with blood.

But there will be _consequences_ if Gaara decides to play in Konoha, complications if he listens to the ever present voice in his head and indulges in his need for destruction.

Yes, Gaara didn't want to leave Suna. But here he is, standing there as father talks to the Hokage and Kankuro is introduced to his betrothed, as Temari smiles mockingly, smirk just short of disrespect.

Kankuro's betrothed turns to look at him then, Gaara distantly registering father's voice as he introduces them, and a fleeting thought passes that he should bow. He should, but he finds himself stuck staring into those bright blue eyes, stuck staring at a girl who's so clearly unafraid.

He…he doesn't know what he feels as she stares at him, so brave and bold and fearless. He doesn't know what the feeling in his chest is, doesn't know what it means, that the voice is unusually silent.

And then her lips quirk just slightly, the smile on her face somehow seems more real, and the sight alone is intoxicating, the sight alone feels like the thrill of a fresh kill.

He follows the procession as the girl-as _Naruto_ -places a hand on the arm Kankuro offers, as she leads them down the halls. Gaara follows, unwilling and unable to look away from her.


End file.
